A Gift in A Minor
by Elenillor
Summary: Sirius makes a discovery about Remus, and gets Remus to share it with him.


It was dark when he opened his eyes, and he lay perfectly still for a moment as he tried to remember where he was. He hated waking up to unfamiliar surroundings.

The air in the room was cool and crisp, moving gently as a summer breeze blew through the open window. His eyes adjusted, but he remained still. He was comfortable, though the bed he was in somehow felt empty.

Turning his head just a little, he could see James across the room, and Peter on a cot near him, snoring softly. He and Remus were sharing a bed (after swearing on Remus' text books that they wouldn't do anything). Sirius finally realized the bed felt empty because Remus wasn't in it.

"Rem?" he called out softly, sitting up. When he got no response, he yawned and quietly got to his feet, padding down the hall and towards the stairs. The last time he had woken up alone here, he found Remus sitting outside, staring at the moon that plagued his nights. Knowing Remus was often woken by nightmares, he decided he would go look for his boyfriend outside.

Halfway down the stairs, however, a sad, melodic tune met his ears, and he stopped walking. Someone must have a record playing. Maybe that's where Remus was: with James' father, sharing their love for old music. He didn't recognize the song, but it was sad and beautiful, and it broke it his heart.

He started taking the steps again, slowly and one at a time, until he had a clear view of the family room. As the moon cast a gentle light across the room, Sirius discovered that no record was playing. Remus was seated at the Potters' piano, playing that beautiful music.

Sirius was actually shocked. He never knew Remus could play, much less this well. The young man constantly amazed Sirius, and he wanted to live the rest of his life with the werewolf to make these little discoveries every day.

Sirius sat down, as quietly as possible so that he wouldn't disturb Remus. Maybe this was why Remus always seemed so perfectly calm and content. He got all of his sad emotions out in music. Music, and writing.

"My God," Sirius breathed. "Remus is an artist."

Two full moons later, Sirius and Remus climbed the stairs to the bedroom in the shack where Remus would transform into Moony. They both walked quietly. There wasn't much to say on these nights. Remus always felt like he should say thank you, but Sirius already knew how grateful he was.

James and Peter promised to come along later, and Sirius was secretly glad. It gave him some time alone with Remus, and he cherished these moments.

"What is that?" Remus asked, stopping so abruptly in the doorway that Sirius nearly ran into him.

"It looks like a piano," Sirius said, slightly teasing Remus for asking a question with such an obvious answer.

The werewolf rolled his eyes. "I can see that. What is it doing here?"

"Dunno," Sirius said, shrugging. "Wonder if it works." He strolled over to it and sat down, his fingers splaying across the keys as he played a short, classical piece.

"You play?"

Sirius looked over his shoulder at Remus. "I'm a child of high society. Of course I play." He nodded his head, indicating that Remus should sit beside him. Remus did, though he simply looked at the keys in front of him. Sirius had hoped for more, but he continued playing and didn't say anything. While he often liked to push his limits with Remus, he knew right before the full moon was a sure fire way to make the wolf close up. It was the last thing Sirius wanted now. He was silently trying to will Remus to join him, however. '_Please share this with me_.'

Tentatively, Remus lifted one hand and set his fingers lightly on the keys. His eyes closed and he listened to Sirius' notes, timing them until he played one chord, then another, and then, much to Sirius' quiet delight, both hands were playing.

The moment seemed suspended in time, the two of them playing together in perfect rhythm. He could almost feel a connection with Remus, and he didn't want to lose it.

Remus stopped playing, and Sirius followed suit. The werewolf was blinking rapidly, which Sirius knew was one of the signs the transformation was about to begin. Remus' vision got clearer and turned to black and white, and it always took Remus a moment to get used to it. Soon after, his other sense heightened.

Knowing this, Sirius whispered, "Your eyes have gone yellow."

Remus nodded and stood up, moving to disrobe quickly. "You should change into Padfoot."

Sirius grabbed Remus' clothes off the floor and stored them on a shelf, where Moony couldn't get to them. "I'll be with you all night, Rem, and I'll see you in the morning." He always said these words to Remus, every full moon, and even on some of the more difficult non-transformation nights.

When Remus woke the next morning, muscles stiff and hurting, it was to the sounds of an old piano playing a sad song that he had once played in James' family room.


End file.
